JK Academy Std 5/ class 5 English lesson 15 Bird Bath
Bird Bath
by Evaleen Stein
In our garden we have made
Such a pretty little pool,
Lined with pebbles neatly laid,
Filled with water clean and cool.
When the sun shines warm and high
Robins cluster round its brink,
Never one comes flying by
But will flutter down to drink.
Then they splash and splash and splash,
Spattering little showers bright
All around, till off they flash
Singing sweetly their delight.
Summary:
1st Stanza
The poetess Evaleen Stein tells us that in their garden they have made a very pretty little pool. That they made by neatly laying pebbles by arranging them in a line. And this pool was then filled with clean and cool water.
2nd Stanza:
The poetess further states that when the sun has risen high above the sky and is shinning very brightly (i.e. it is afternoon) and the day is warm, the Robins gather around the brink of the pool. She also tells us that not a single Robin will come flying by, but will flutter down to drink the clear-cool of the pool. This tells us that the birds are very eager to dive into the pool and drink the cool water.
3rd Stanza:
Here the poetess is describing how the Robins are enjoying themselves in the pool. All the birds are slashing so much water that it is splattering all around like the bright showers of the rain. And after they have enjoyed their bath, in the clear-cool waters of the pool, they fly off in a flash and declare their happiness by singing away sweetly.
Central Idea/ Theme
The poem gives us the message that we should find time for the little moments of happiness in our busy schedule.
Things to do:
1. The poem has rhyming words at the end of the lines. Find and write the pairs of rhyming words in each stanza.
made – laid, pool – cool, high – by, brink-drink, splash-flash, bright-delight.
2. Guess the meaning of the following words in the poem.
lined – arrange in a row
pebbles – small round stones
cluster – a group
brink – edge of a container
flutter – to flap the wings very fast
splash – sound heard when something hits the water
splattering – drops of liquid falling around
flash – very fast
delight – happiness
3. Rewrite the following lines in your words:
(1) “Never one comes flying by
But will flutter down to drink
Ans. These lines tell us how eager the birds are to dive into the pool that they just don’t come flying but flutter down to drink the clear-cool water.
(2) ……… ’till off they flash
Singing sweetly their delight’
Ans. And after they have enjoyed themselves by splashing and spluttering the clear-cool waters of the pool, they fly off in a flash, declaring their happiness by singing sweetly.
4. Write what you can do to welcome birds in your surroundings.
Ans. To welcome the birds, we can place small containers of water so that these birds can come to drink whenever they are thirsty. We can also keep bird feeders with different grains for them to eat.
5. Discuss what you can do to help other animals in your surroundings. Write down any three ideas you like from the discussion.